Social Prescribing Community Chest Festival

Calling Voluntary and Community groups working in Barking & Dagenham!

Join us to find out about the new round of Community Chest Funding which is available in 2025.

Applications are now open for Expressions of interest in reciving the fund - this event will answer any questions you might have about the funding before finsihing off your application.

We want you to take part in a participatory budgeting exercise with other local groups, which will determine what is funded through the Social Prescribing Community Chest fund.

Come to our Festival event on Friday 10 January 2025 at Barking Learning Centre to:

· Meet and develop partnerships with other B&D community organisations (including for joint bids)

· Understand how and when applications for funding will work.

Background: NHS North East London is funding a Social Prescribing Community Chest initiative across all of the Place-based Partnerships in North East London, including Barking and Dagenham. The total value of the Community Chest in Barking and Dagenham is £90,000 – comprising of £45,000 from NHS North East London which is match funded by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

These funds will be directly re-awarded over February and March 202, with selected grantees providing social prescribing activities as part of the Community Chest. We are especially interested in supporting small groups, with annual incomes under £60,000 and groups working with and led by people with protected characteristics. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Core criteria:

1. Equality, diversity and inclusion – supporting those who are left behind or not well provided for by the current offer

2. Capacity building – strengthening your organisation’s capability to deliver projects

3. Existing Social Prescribing needs – how your proposal should support and compliment local social prescribing needs in Barking & Dagenham.

4. Evidence – showing the impact of your work and sharing your good work with others

Important dates:

• 10 January 2025 10.00 to 13.00: Community Festival @ Barking Learning Centre

• 28 February 2025 10.00-16.00: Participatory budgeting @ Barking Learning Centre (Confirmed date will be announced at Community Festival)

• March 2025: distribution of funds and start of funded activities including starting of evaluation process

• July 2025: completion of activities and end of evaluation

If you are a voluntary or community sector group working in Barking & Dagenham and would like to find out more about this opportunity please book a place for our December event where we will set out the process for participation and funding.

Attendees should note that places are limited and that participation will be remunerated with the requirement that strong engagement with the process is mandatory and that funding for individual projects is not guaranteed

Any questions please email [email protected]

Host or Publisher Barking and Dagenham Community Chest Group